'Primeur' Rioja Launched

Thu 5 May 2005

According to the trade magazine Harpers, Codorniu owned Rioja producer Bodegas Bilbainas is laucnhing the first 'primeur' Rioja, available for shipping straight after bottling, despite it spending 15 months in oak.

'I suppose you could say it is a 'primeur' wineas, unlike the normal system in Rioja, we are letting the customer decide when they want to drink it, said technical direcotr Jose Hidalgo. 'They may prefer to drink the wine young or simply want to follow its development.'

Named after the vineyard where it is produced, Vicuana, the wine will be sold as 'Rioja'. Despite the wine spending enough time in new French oak barrels to be labelled 'Reserva', it doesn't have the requisite bottle ageing stipulated by the DO.

A blend of 75% Tempranillo and 25% Graciano from 25 year-old vines, the release price is likely to be around £15. Around 20,000 cases of the first vintage, 2003, have been made, with around 10% of the production expected to reach the UK.